Locarno’s interdisciplinary and international think tank StepIn will welcome comedian and disability advocate Maysoon Zayid to its 14th edition.
In her introduction “Somewhere Over the Rainbow: Making Movies that Save Lives,” Zayid will “challenge industry players to use the power of storytelling to save lives,” it was revealed to Variety exclusively.
“My entire career has been about taking risks and doing either what others fear, or what they never even imagined was possible. I am a Muslim woman who pioneered Arabic language standup comedy. I shape culture. The world has tried to cancel me, and it failed miserably,” she said.
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Co-founder and co-executive producer of the New York Arab American Comedy Festival and the Muslim Funny Fest, Zayid was a headliner on the Arabs Gone Wild comedy tour, she also appeared alongside Adam Sandler in “You Don’t Mess with the Zohan.”
She will focus on “how much fun taking risks can be and how little we, as artists, have to lose.”
“I want listeners to tap into the power they have to amplify voices of the oppressed, whether that be women fighting for equality in the workplace or children attempting to survive a genocide. Most importantly, I want them to laugh. That’s really the ultimate goal of every talk I deliver.”
Humor makes it easier for people to listen to opinions and facts they would’ve never paid attention to otherwise, she argued. But it doesn’t make taking risks any easier.
“Quite the opposite – a bad joke can obliterate credibility. When using the lens of comedy there’s always a chance people won’t take you seriously even if the subject matter is life or death. It’s quite the tightrope and although I have cerebral palsy, I’m excellent at balancing on it.”
On the same day, Berlinale director Tricia Tuttle, Stuart Ford, chairman and CEO of AGC Studios and Ed Guiney of Element Pictures will share their experiences during the opening keynote.
“We’re very proud of the outstanding speakers and participants we’ve brought together for this year’s edition of StepIn, which is all about embracing risks. They exemplify what it means to take bold, forward-thinking steps to push our industry ahead,” said Marcello Paolillo, Locarno Pro, StepIn & U30 project manager.
“In an increasingly complex, at times frightening world – and within an industry undergoing profound transformation, financially, structurally, culturally, and ethically – the real challenge is no longer how to avoid risk, but how to take smarter, more strategic ones. And how to champion originality not in defiance of the market, but as its very engine.”
In an industry that seems to rely on familiar genres and recognizable IP, the very notion of “risk” needs rethinking, he argued, mentioning such titles as “Anatomy of a Fall,” “Anora,” “Past Lives” or “Parasite.” “Not anomalies or liabilities but the proof that taking risk is essential and can lead to both artistic and commercial success.”
During the event, participants will debate the balance between public and private film financing and the evolving relationship between film festivals and the press. A “bold” roundtable on Building a Truly Inclusive Audiovisual Industry will also be held.
“As the kick-off event of Locarno Pro, at StepIn we’d like to set the tone of this edition and discuss the most pressing topics in the international and European film industry. In particular, independent film financing is a topic we’ll actively tackle at several other moments during the Locarno Pro days,” promised Markus Duffner, director of Locarno Pro.
Based on the assumption that “private funds and investments can complement existing public mechanisms in a harmonious way,” Locarno Pro has laid the foundations for the creation of the Locarno Investment Community.
“[It’s] a group dedicated to discovering new projects and talents in which to invest through private funds. In an increasingly complex context for those working in independent cinema, where there’s ever more competition for public funding, Locarno Pro is taking a stand and committing to offering new opportunities for meeting and exchange for those who make up the professional ecosystem,” he noted.
As observed by Guiney, behind such films like “Poor Things,” “The Favourite” and “Pillion,” the latter starring Alexander Skarsgård and well-received at Cannes, “both creative and financial risk taking is necessary for success in arthouse cinema.”
“[In Locarno] I’d love to explore how we can finance more ambitious films out of Europe rather than rely on U.S. financing. I’d like to see more finance from Europe for bigger budget made by European filmmakers. What policy levers can we employ to drive this?”
According to Ford, “independent financiers are a vital part of the film ecosystem.”
“We gamble on fresh ideas, maverick talents and genres that don’t fit this week’s algorithmic mandate. In Locarno I hope we’re going to talk not just about the investment risk required to staunchly fight our corner, but also about the risk to the future health of the movie business if we don’t,” he said.
Paolillo added: “In a way, the film industry has always been a risky business. But in a time so often driven by fear – of failure, of backlash, of change – taking the right risks is not just brave. It’s necessary.”
